Macross Arcadia
by Tornado Messiah
Summary: On the fringe of the galaxy, once buried secrets reveal themselves, bringing NUNS to the brink of a civil war... Rating is primarily for language. CxC is appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Intro: Okay, so _technically_ I wouldn't consider this a "Macross Delta Fanfiction". This is a story that I'm writing for my son that is based in the broader Macross universe, but I have decided to place it in the Macross Delta category due to that is the series of the franchise that, in my opinion, has the most connections to this work.

That being said, I want this to be something that could, in theory, stand alone in the Macross universe. Being a stand-alone, it should follow what I believe are the "Three Pillars of Macross". These three ideologies would be variable fighters, music, and a love triangle(s).

'Variable Fighters' is fairly straight-forward and this box is easily checked, especially since one of the main focal points of the story is a particularly unique variable fighter.

'Music' may be a bit harder since I would consider myself "musically illiterate". I may ask the reader to more or less "Insert a Song You Like Here", because I would not consider myself a skilled enough writer to write song lyrics for the songstresses in this piece and integrate those into the literature while maintaining a flow.

'Love Triangle(s)' is probably the part that will bite me in the ass. I would not consider myself good at describing "romance" and despite reading more romance light novels than I could shake a stick at recently to better understand the flow of properly written romance in preparation for writing this, it may not be up to everyone's standards, or in some rare cases, downright cringe-worthy. I apologize in advance.

Please understand that the main protagonist may at points stray into the dreaded "Mary Sue" realm. Although, frankly, since this a piece for my son, that is technically starring my son as the protagonist (with the surname changed to protect identities, obviously), I wouldn't necessarily want him to fail either. The key will be balancing the attributes, but I understand what I see as balance may differ from you.

Also, this will be a re-learning experience for me. This is my first fanfiction in approximately 8-10 years, so some of the writing in the earlier chapters may be a bit… "rusty". Again, I apologize in advance.

I cannot say for certain when I will post updates. I will try for one chapter a week, but no promises. The balancing of work, parenting, social life and other hobbies will dictate this.

Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism is always welcome.

Thank you, and enjoy.

Chapter 1

Theo took in a deep breath of the sweet sea breeze as he crested the ridge of the hill and came upon a small farmhouse. It had been 5 years since the 28th mass emigration convoy, "Macross Arcadia", landed on the surface of the planet of Istria. Arcadia's economy had flourished and the city has grown quickly in past years, and the edges of the city now extended to these distant foothills.

Theo pushed through the door of the farmhouse and was greeted with a familiar sight. His mother, Yussy, was cooking dinner in the kitchen, judging by the smell it was chicken with a plethora of spices that left a slight burning feeling in his nose. Meanwhile, his sister, Camille had her vision glued to the TV. Theodore could barely decipher through his sister's mess of hair the headline " _Freyja Immelmann to Retire from Walkure at End of Current Tour due to Health Complications"_

"Oh, honey, you have mail," Yussy mused, not looking up from the pan. Theo merely grunted in response and swiped up the holo-pad as he made his way to his room.

"Colonial Van & Storage?" he muttered to himself. "What the hell could they want?" He dropped his bag haphazardly on the floor and flopped lazily onto the bed.

"Dear Mr. Theo Barton," the automated voice of the holo-pad monotoned. "We at Colonial Van & Storage are contacting you regarding storage unit number A312. You are listed as the secondary point of contact and we have not been able to make the primary point of contact, Dr. Henry Barton. Due to expiration of contract, storage unit number A312 must be vacated by close of business tomorrow, November 3rd, 2073. Thank you, and have a nice day."

"Three years and you're still pestering me with shit like this…" Theo mused as he stared up at the ceiling. "Apparently destroying my social life with that damn explosion wasn't enough, was it? Ah, well… I guess I'll get to it tomorrow…"

{The Next Day)

"Hello, and welcome to Colonial Van & Storage!" the receptionist announced, her gleaming smile making Theo feel a bit uneasy. "What can we help you with today, sir?"

"Uh, I'm here concerning unit A312," Theo slowly responded as he approached the desk. He held out the holo-pad that contained the message he had received the day before so that the receptionist could see it.

"You must be Theo, right this way." The receptionist stood up from her desk and gestured for Theo to follow. They walked down a narrow hallway, lined with steel doors. After a short while, they stopped in front of a door in the back of the complex. A faded placard labeled "A312" was positioned next to the door.

The old steel door slowly creaked open as the receptionist strained to push it open. The air was thick from dust and the high stacks of notebooks and half-finished projects cast long shadows across the room. The single, dim light flickered as the age of bulb made itself apparent.

"Please take you time," the receptionist said with a bow as she disappeared around the corner.

"Gee, thanks…" The sighed as he began to sift through some of the notebooks on the table. "What the hell am I supposed to do with shit?" No response. As he shifted through the mess, large wafts of dust were thrown up into the air, causing him to cough. As he took a deep breath after a particularly nasty coughing fit, Theo noticed something from the corner of his eye. Two metal fins stuck into the air in the back of the room.

As Theo approached the fins, the rest of what they were connected to became visible in the faint light. Broad wings, a sleek body, large engines, there was little to doubt in Theo's mind.

"Is that… a variable fighter?" Theo mused to himself. "Why the hell did my father have this thing stashed in here?" He ran his hand along the nose of the aircraft. "Especially such a new model…" The variable fighter was strikingly similar to a VF-31J Siegfried, apart from the two bulbous protrusions on top of the engine nacelles. A ladder was propped against the fore end and the hatch was open, as if inviting him.

Theo slowly climbed the ladder and slid into the seat, the cockpit having piqued his interest. The cockpit appeared devoid of any signs of life as the various switches Theo flipped had no response. Theo sighed in defeat and slouched down in the seat.

"Who am I kidding?" Theo sighed. "This thing is just a piece of shit like everything else in here…" Theo wrenched the throttle as leverage to pull, but as he grabbed the handle, the cockpit canopy snapped shut on his head.

"Biometric data confirmed," a computerized female voice stated.

"Wha?!"

"YF-33, 'Garuda', primary control systems, online. Auxiliary control systems, online. Engines, online. All pilot interface systems initialized. Advanced Remote Interface Assistant, initialization in progress. Executing pre-programmed course of action."

The engines roared to full power and the twin gunpods opened fire, blowing a hole in the agingconcrete. The YF-33 launched itself into the afternoon sky, beginning a new chapter in the Macross saga….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Let me out!" Theo yelled as he banged furiously on the canopy. "I said let me out, dammit!" The YF-33 continued its accent, entirely unaffected by his words. Theo pulled his arms back to strike at the glass once again, but found himself pausing at the sound of a voice.

"Strike that glass one more time and I'll eject you myself…" a female voice with a slightly synthesized tone interjected. The small hologram pad on the right side of the cockpit lit up, projecting the image of a woman that wasn't more than 3 inches tall. She wore a skin-tight bodysuit and was surround by a faint pink hue which meshed with her waist-length strawberry blonde hair.

"If it gets me out of this thing, then sounds like a plan…" Theo swung his fists at the canopy and braced for impact, but nothing happened. The hologram visually sighed.

"Teenage boys are such a pain in the ass… It's against my orders to eject you, but at very least my jest got the desired effect of getting you to stop your tantrum."

"And here I was thinking I was getting out of here…"

"Sorry, no. You're going to be stuck with me for quite a while. I am the Advanced Remote Interface Assistant. You can just call me Aria for short. And you, Theodore Barton, have an important mission to fulfill. A mission from your father…"

"… My father?" Theo asked with an exasperated look. What did this program know of his father? Theo barely knew anything himself due to his father always being preoccupied with work.

"Theodore, do you know why Garuda was built?"

"No…"

"Eh, bad question. Of course not. Garuda's existence has been secret, partake a very select few people. A better question would be, do you know how Lt. Hayate Immelmann was able to shoot down the White Knight of Darwent on Ragna on October 28, 2067?"

"Again, no…"

"Well, that is the question which lead to Garuda's development, because even we don't know exactly how. It's widely considered to be a fluke. That is why Lady M granted your father and his team the blueprints of the VF-31J Siegfried to use as a baseline and the require funding to make Garuda happen.

If two pilots with fighters of similar performance were to engage in a duel, the better pilot would win, right? But super aces like Maximillian Jenius or Myria Fallyna or the White Knight don't grow on trees and they're not always on our side. Garuda was designed with this thought in mind. In Garuda, a seemingly average pilot would be able to be able to fight on par, and likely even defeat someone like the White Knight."

"So, what is it that makes Garuda so special?"

"Classified."

"Wow, that's helpful," Theo sighed. "Is there anything you _can_ tell me? Like what the hell the mission from my father was and how it relates to Garuda?"

"During the development of Garuda three years ago, it was discovered one of the members on your father's team was a spy for a NUNS black ops group called Havalmal. After some of the shady things NUNS tried to pull I the Brisingr Globular Cluster, including setting off multiple banned dimensional weapons, Lady M assumed that NUNS would confiscate Garuda and abuse its abilities for their dubious tasks. She ordered that the Garuda project be terminated immediately. Your father…" Aria paused, staring out the window. "You father hid the single Garuda prototype in that storage unit and detonated the development facility with himself and the Havalmal spy inside in the attempt to cover the tracks.

Before that final moment, your father programmed Garuda to only respond to your biometric signature. He knew that you would find Garuda eventually… as would Havalmal. Your mission, because you're the only human who can control it, is to pilot Garuda and keep it out of Havalmal's hands, at any costs necessary."

"And I get no say in the matter… Yep, sounds just like him…" Theo mused as he crossed his arms across his chest in mild disgust. "And you're… what? My mentor? My sensei?"

"No. I am merely your assistant. I control Garuda's… _classified_ … subsystems. I can also relinquish control of the classified systems to take control of Garuda itself, but the Judas System severely limits my capabilities. Speaking of which, you may want to buckle up. I hold no responsibility for damage caused to items let unsecured in the cockpit."

Before Theo could respond, the YF-33 threw out its legs, slamming on the brakes. The momentum threw Theo forward, slamming his face into the control panel, breaking his nose and covering his face in a spurt of blood. The YF-33 rolled sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding a burst of gunpod fire. The variable fighter transformed in Battroid mode and turned to face its attackers, a pair of dark blue VF-171 Nightmare Plus making a sweeping turn to perform another attack run.

"What… The… Hell…" Theo stammered as he attempted to pick himself up off the floorboard. Aria didn't respond as the YF-33 drew it's two assault knives and lunged at the enemy.

"Are we sure that's it?" the first man asked.

"So far, the data sent by those recon squad before they were destroyed matches the data sent by Gregor three years ago," the second man replied as he watched the combat footage intently.

"To think the rumored Garuda actually exists… Our luck is extraordinary… "

"Yes, it is as if God himself is smiling upon us. Send a priority message to all Havalmal units. Commence Operation Birdcage."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Okay... Wow... It has been a long time. Needless to say, a lot of things that I hadn't initally planned came up. New job, moving to a new apartment, son's constant sickness, amongst other things. Short entry, I know. Hopefully I can get back into some sort of rythym, albeit I doubt I will be able to maintain the one chapter a week I had initially intended.

Chapter 3

Theodore's vision swam as he groggily opened his eyes. A bright light blinded what little he could see, apart from a shadowy outline.

"Ahh, I see you're awake now," a man with a thick hispanic accent spoke.

"Who... ? Wha... ?"

"Don't worry about speaking now, Theodore. I am sure I will answer all your questions in due time. My name is Captain Francisco Ponce, commanding officer of Chaos forces here on Arcadia. You were knocked out and suffered moderate blood loss during combat maneuvers in the skies above Arcadia, but the doctor informs me you should be okay to question. What I need you to do is listen carefully, because we are on the brink of shit hitting the fan.

During your...rather Aria's... use of poor judgment, two variable fighters belonging a NUNS special operations unit called Havalmal were shot down. Now NUNS, and in particular, Havalmal, are declaring this an act of rebellion, and Chaos is being seen as the ringleaders since Aria landed that damn fighter you were in here.

They said that if we turn over the aircraft and pilot responsible for the act, that the pilot alone would be punished. They were assuming that we wouldn't know what we had in our possession. They want us to hand over Garuda without realizing it.

I was friends with your father, Theodore, and while the exact details I know are minimal, I am well aware that Garuda is much, much more than a Siegfried with a different name. There are things that that variable fighter is capable of that could only be dreamed of, and I know how vehement your father was about not letting it into NUNS' hands. The events of the war with Windemere showed the NUNS' true nature and how low they would stoop to achieve their means.

We can't turn you and Garuda over to Havalmal, but if we don't turn you over, then they will undoubtedly declare Arcadia as a rebellious planet and declare war. Despite our pleas, Lady M is treading very lightly and doesn't want to get into another confrontation with the NUNS, so support from the rest of Chaos is not likely. The Chaos detachment on Arcadia is quite small. We don't have a Macross in our arsenal. This is not a war we can win as we are.

This is where you come in, Theodore. I need you to pilot Garuda, because only you can. Despite my better judgement not wanting to expose Garuda to Havalmal forces and risk capture, we need every fighter we can get, and with Garuda in our arsenal, we may stand a chance in hell of coming out of this shit show alive.

While I can't force you to join, this is my plea. For your home, friends, family and loved ones, please think carefully about what I have said today and consider your future actions wisely... You are clear to go home. A car is waiting for you in front of this building."

* * *

 _"I need you to pilot Garuda"_

The words echoed through Theodore's head. What was he to do? He was no soldier and had no experience flying, but here he was being asked to fly and fight in a valkyrie in a suspected upcoming war. Despite the overwhelming urges to just say 'Screw Arcadia!' and disappear, leaving the planet which had brought him such grief to a certain doom, there was something tugging at him that made him second guess himself.

"Theo? ... Theo? ... Are you okay? Class ended 15 minutes ago."

Theodore was shook from his reverie by the sound of the soft voice. A pale-skinned girl with long black hair, sitting in a wheel chair, stared at his face curiously.

"Kotori?"

"What's wrong? What happened this weekend? You've been mentally absent all day."

"Oh... yeah... nothing..."

"That bandage on your head certainly doesn't say nothing happened," Kotori accused, her eyes narrowing.

"I hit my head. It's nothing. I'll be fine. I've just been... distracted."

"By?"

"I... can't say," Theodore mused as he stared out the window at the late afternoon sun.

"Hmph," Kotori pouted. She crossed her arms and turned her head away. "I'm your only friend, but you don't tell me shit..."

"I'm sorry." Theodore stood up and went behind Kotori's wheel chair, grasping the handles. "It was... a business proposition. Details are... classified, I guess. If I buy you ice cream, will you lay off the questions?"

"Sure!" Kotori gleamed with a huge smile.

 _'That smile'_ Theodore thought as he pushed the wheel chair. _'That smile is why I'm still here. That smile... is something precious'_

"What are you smiling about?" Kotori inquired, glancing up at Theo over her shoulder.

"Oh... I'm just thinking about what kind of ice cream I'm going to get," Theo lied.

 _'If anything, she's consistent,'_ he thought. _'I've never seen a girl so easily distracted and entranced by ice cream... But how does she keep the weight off from all that ice cream while limited to a wheelcha- No, no, no! Not appropriate... Focus...'_ He took a deep breath.

 _'Why haven't I escaped while I could? NUNS could squash this dream like a bug... Is that smile that important to me?'_ Theodore paused, taking out his cell phone.

"Yes, Captain Ponce? I'd like to accept your offer."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

One month had passed, and NUNS had been proving that, at least currently, it's bark was worst than it's bite. Despite multiple threats, NUNS had not declared war like they countlessly promised. Was this the fear factor imposed by Garuda? Or was the war over before it even started and NUNS was poking and prodding? Theo was pondering this as he abruptly interrupted.

"Oi, Barton!" a gruff man with a shaved head yelled from down the hallway as he strode towards him.

"Lieutenant Commander Walsh..."

"Final test is sometime tonight," the man continued. "You better have your phone charged tonight. From the time you receive that fateful text message, you have one hour to report to base, get flight-ready and be wheels up."

"What? Only an hour?"

"Barton, haven't I told you what the most important element of warfare is?"

"The element of... umm..."

"The element of surprise. The best place and time to attack is when the enemy least expects it. We need to be able to react at a moments notice to best reduce the impact of the element of surprise. Consider this a dry-run for the real world."

"But, I-"

"What, you don't have tickets to that concert, do you?"

"Actually, I-"

"I've always been more partial to Sheryl Nome, personally. My favorite song of her's is 9 PM Sagitarrius, Don't. Be. Late." A sharp finger prod to Theo's chest accompied the Commander's last three words, as if driving the emphasis home. He turned and walked away, leaving Theodore standing alone in the hallway. He fumbled in his pocket before pulling two slips of paper.

"I hope these don't go to waste, they weren't cheap..." Theo mused as he turned the tickets over in his hands. "But I've never even heard of this Aika Saotome before... Why did Kotori want to see a no-name's concert so badly?" He shoved the tickets back into his pocket, but he couldn't shake the feeling he had seen that face somewhere before.

* * *

"I hope Kotori forgives me..." Theodore huffed as he jumped into Garuda's pilot seat, the canopy snapping shut behind him. "Leaving five minutes before the show under the guise of using the bathroom... I'm going to hell, aren't I?"

"Depends..." Aria mused. "How hard can Kotori throw a wrench?"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence..." Garuda's engines roared and the plane lurched forward, propelling itself into the sky. "Aria, what's the objective for the exam?"

"Only briefing we got was for you to intercept unknown aircraft above the stadium. IFF data will be a signature we haven't seen before. As for me..." Theodore could hear the radio tuning in the background, before fading into music. Theodore had never heard this songstress before, but it sounded faintly familiar to someone he had heard sing years ago.

"What are you doing? We're on a mission."

"Ah, but this is _my_ mission. Turn the music on watch you get pummeled into the ground," Aria teased. "No help from me today... besides this, radar contact, 12 o'clock high, approahing at high speed." Aria began to hum along with the music and turned away, looking out the canopy.

Theo frantically scanned the the skies, trying to locate the target. Then, there it was, a faint glint against the dark sky, but the time spent searching for his foe had put Theo on the back foot. Theo managed to apply the brakes at the last second, narrowly avoiding what looked like a burst from a gunpod. The unknown hurtled passed Garuda, barreling towards the cityscape below. Garuda banked hard into a dive after the unknown, slowly gaining ground on the wildly evasive opponent.

"That wing setup with those engines..." Theo mused as he desperately tried to keep up with his adversary. "Is that a VF-25? What is one of those doing way out here? Those saw service with the Frontier fleet lightyears from here..."

"Beats me..." Aria replied dismissively, her gaze out the canopy unflinching.

Garuda's twin gunpods erupted with a burst of fire, but the unknown seemingly just floated out of the way, as if dancing on the clouds with no effort. The unknown was seemingly toying with him, which Theo knew and was starting to aggrivate him. Theo fired again, but to no avail.

The unknown descended further, transforming into Gerwalk mode and darting back and forth between the buildings. Theo gave chase, transforming into Gerwalk mode as well, but his inexperience became readily apparent as his wingtips grazed against the building, shattering windows and carving large gashes into the stonework.

"Is he... leading me towards the stadium where the concert is? Damn... No clear shots, I have to get him out of the city!"

"Times up. Brace for impact."

"Huh?!" The VF-25 slammed on the breaks cutting the distance between it and Theo to almost nothing in an instant. In one fluid motion transformed into Battroid mode, smashed it's shield into Garuda's cockpit, almost knocking Theo out again, then used it's right leg to sweep Garuda's legs out from under it. Grasping one of the legs of the still falling Garuda with both it's arms, the VF-25 flung Garuda over it's shoulder. Through blurred vision and a cracked visor, Theo could vaguely make out that he was being thrown _into_ the open-roofed stadium.

* * *

Kotori sighed in dismay.

 _'I'm starting to think he's no longer in the bathroom...'_ she thought. _'I finally ask him out, and this happens... Maybe this is why you have so few friends...'_

Kotori's train of thought was forcibly derailed as a variable fighter suddenly fell from the sky, landing directly behind the stage. The gerwalk crumpled and slumped down under it's own weight. A second variable fighter landed atop the first, it's foot firmly placed upon the first's cockpit. Despite the battle finishing directly behind her, Aika seemed awfully calm, not even glancing over her shoulder. Was it part of the show?

* * *

"Oi, Barton", the familiar voice of Lt. Cdr. Walsh crackled over the radio as the lights snapped off in the stadium upon completion of the final song. "Or should I say, Aquila 4. Good job today, test complete. Stay put until the recovery crew arrives."

"Not like I can go anywhere anyways..." Theo mumbled in respone as he turned off the radio. "Aria, damage report please."

"Motor control processor failure detected," Aria replied, finally averting her eyes from outside the canopy. "Motor skill reduced by at least 88%, if not a complete failure. Attempting movement of manipulators and engine units highly discouraged."

"Like I thought..." Theo mused as he looked up at the large crack in the canopy caused by the VF-25's foot. The VF-25 itself had left minutes prior, leaving Garuda behind. He reached down and pulled the emergency escape handle, ejecting the damaged canopy and allowing him to climb out.

A heavy thud resounded as Theodore's boot hit the ground. Despite the low light, the visible damage to Garuda was obvious. Large sections of one of the wings were missing. Sparks eschewed from every joint. The distinct smell of leaking coolant filled the air.

"I'm so relieved you're alright," a female voice spoke from behind Theodore. He spun around to face the voice. "I do have to apologize, my father can get quite rough with his friends."

"Wha?" Theodore replied, a expression of confusion plastered on his face. "Are you... Aika?" The girl merely responded with an affirming smile. "The term 'friend' isn't quite how I would describe it, considering I've never seen that fighter before and the ass-kicking I received..."

"Oh? You have not met before? I thought you were part of the acrobatics support?" Theodore shook his head. "Then I guess a proper introduction is in order. My name is Aika Saotome, and my father, is Alto Saotome."

"Alto Saotome? As in _THE_ Alto Saotome? The hero of the Frontier fleet? Great... Put a newbie up against an ace with 20 some-odd years of experience as my entrance exam... How the fuck am I supposed to win?"

" _You were never supposed to win_..."


End file.
